The Department is both proud and elated to once again announce an official ceremony and corresponding date for the JFRD Awards Ceremony, more specifically Friday, the 8th of April beginning at 6 PM. The event will take place at the Union Hall and see the long overdue recognition of several uniformed personnel, specific JFRD units and civilians who all excelled in delivering various elements of Jacksonville's public safety mandate to an appreciative community. Congratulations to all award recipients!

The month of April quickly provided the Department with two noteworthy events within a very short timeframe, beginning on Tuesday, 5 April, with a structure fire in the 1000 block of Woodstock Avenue. As units approached the two story dwelling in the late afternoon hours, the assembled firefighters were immediately confronted by heavy smoke visible along the second floor: the latter an area home to three apartment units. Without hesitation the first responders ascended to the second level and, in virtually no time at all, located an adult male trapped and unable to flee from the rapidly advancing thick and acrid smoke. Quickly extracted from the aforementioned environment, the rescued male was treated at the scene and released with the fire itself extinguished in less than 15 minutes. No further injuries were reported and damages were limited to the general area of origin. The very next day, just before 7 PM, firefighters were on scene at yet another house fire, this time in the Amandas Crossing neighborhood in Argyle Forest. The single story residence had thick black smoke enveloping the back area of the structure as the responding crews made their way inside to immediately perform a primary search. While the fire was being quickly subdued, firefighters discovered that the only thing in need of rescue was a large dog: a mixed breed in excess of 60 pounds and already overcome by the swirling black smoke inside the home. Once outside with the canine, firefighters promptly delivered oxygen to the poor animal and, thankfully, the dazed creature soon began to recover. The cause of the fire was undetermined with the State Fire Marshal summoned to the scene to perform the necessary investigation.